Sheet-feeding machine.



Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

8 SHEETS-SHEET I.

& FUN. 1

S J G H m 1 $1 Q M A F0 TTH NW u SDI P T. A. BRIGGS. SHEET FEEDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-1.1915.

Patented Mar. 19, I918.

'8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AT ORNEY T. A. BRIGGS.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 1915 Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ATTOIPNEY T. A. BRIGGS.

4 SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I. 1915- 1,Q59',598.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

T. A. BRIGGS.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION ElLED SEPT. 1, 1915.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5' INVENfO TTORNEY T. A. BRIGGS.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1. 1915. 1,259,591. PatentedMar. 19, 1918.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6- T. A. BRIGGS.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLiCATlON FILED SEPT. I. 1915.

1 259 59. Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

8 SHEETSSHEET 7.

ATTOQNEY T. A. BRIGGS.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man SEPT, 1. 1915.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

8 SHEETSSHEET 8.

ra mars rarnr oration THOMAS A. BRIGGS, OF EAST GREEN WICI-I, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BOSTON WIRE STITGHER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ADORPORATION OF MAINE.

' SHEET-FEEDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgntefl Mar, 119%, 1918,

Application filed September 1, 1915. Serial No. 48,581.

,To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs A. BRIGGS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at East Greenwich, in the county-of Kent, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet- Feeding Machines, of which the following is aspecification. w

My invention consists ofimprovements in paper-feeding I machines for delivering sheets of paper to printing-presses, foldingand ruling-machines, or other.-like apparatus, The object of my improvement is to provide a device for this purpose, capable of feeding a practically continuous supply of sheets from a pile or stack, one after an- 1 other in rapid succession, with each sheet regularly timed to follow underneath the previously fed sheet in overlapped relation therewith, and with a plurality of sheets all feeding forward at the same time. With 7 this object in view my improved" device conslsts partlcularly 1n a novel arrangement of means for separating the indlvidual sheets from the supply-bank; shaking each sheet free from those underneath; feeding it forward to the intermittently-operated delivery belts; reaching in under the: sheet firstoperated upon to, rasp and feed fer ward the nextsheet, an so on in suehmanner that the sheets maybe delivered in .overlapped relationin rapld succession to pro- Yvide. a substantially continuous supply.

- My invention embraces several novel features, the most important of which are as follows: First, the means for separating the top sheet from those underneath by suction and then gripping it positively by 1nserting an element beneath it; second, the shaking of'the sheet mechanically to free it from the sheets under it; third, the method of grasping the sheet at one corner only;

fourth, the method of moving the. sheet obliquely forward or diagonally 1n relatlon to its side edge instead of with a stral 'ht-l ne movement; and fifth, the method 0 reaching in under a sheet already fed forward to lift and feed the next sheet from the bank before the first one is fed clear thereof. Through these novel features in the means for and method of feeding the sheets I attain a maximum speed of delivery of the ,pawl-andwatchet 'mans for connections of the feeder;

sheets, a more accurate and reliable feeding thereof, and other important advantages ing it applied to the upper loading-table or supply-board and the. lower feed-board of the machine;

Fig. 2, a general plan view of the lower feed-board showing the .relation of the paper-feeding mechanism thereto; I

Fig, 3, an enlarged-side elevation of the driving-connections for thefeeding-mechanismand also illustrating'the rotary paper-" clips or edge-grippers;

Fig. 4, a det ail view of the rotarypaperclip or edge-gripper shown in Fig. 3;

Figs; 5, ,6 and 7, views in detail of. the

Fig. 8, 'a *side elevation of the suctionlifter and positive paper-gripping means of the separator-device shown in connection with their operatmg mechanism;

Fig. 9, a detail view of a portion of the operating-mechanism for the suction-lifter and positive gripping-means;

Fig. 10, a plan view of the suction-lifter vand positive gripper-mechanism;

Fi 11, a side elevation of the reciprocatable sllde or cross-head on which the suctionlifter and positive paper-gripping means are mounted; v

Fig. 12, a longitudinal, sectional view of the suction arm and shoe;

Fig. .13, a sectional, detail view of the suction-shoe and positive papergripper showing them in operative relation While engaging a sheet of paper; V

Fig. 14, a detail view of the sheet-operated tripping-device for the operatingmeans of the feeding-mechanism;

Fig. 15, an axial, sectional view of the airpump or vacuum-device for the suction- 4 the driving Y means showing the operating-mechanism therefor;

Fig. 16, 'a' side elevation of the rotary to direct the sheets X down onto the top paper clip or edge gripping mechanism showing its relation to the lower feed-board;

Figs. 17, 18and 19, reduced, diagrammatic, plan views of the suction-arm and positive sheet-gripper shown in difierent operative positions in relation to the sheet of idler-pulleys a thence underneath the board A, over the .idlers a and around av cylindrical feed-drum or roll A which is adapted to be rotated through means hereinafter described. Beneath the loadingtable. A and feed-roll A is the lower feedboard B, inclined in the opposite direction and arranged to receive the sheets X as they feed down from the board A around the roll A. The feed-roll A" is mounted fast on a shaft or journaled in bearings in the side-frames A which also support the boards A and B, and is partly surrounded by a semi-cylindrical cowl or hood A having a flaring mouth which acts as a guide of the board 13. .The feed-board B also has a plurality of endless feed-belts b overlying and traversing its upper face, see Fig.2, and passing underneath the 1 board and around the pulleys 6, 6 'Thebelts b are driven from pulleys b which are mounted fast on a transverse shaft 6 adapted to be rotated in. unison with the feed-roll A by means of the gears '05", a and b 1), shown in. Fig. 3 and more particularly described hereinafter. Projecting from the forward end ofthe board B are a plurality of brackets or arms B which support the ends of the sheets of paper X as they feed'ofi from the board, see Figs. 1,2 and 16. Adjacent the endsof the arms B, in advance thereof, is a transverse shaft. G which supports a series of gripper-rolls or disks'c carrying edge-grippers or 'clips'C which. seize the edge of the sheet ofpaper as it is fed thereto to draw it forward onto the "deliverybeltsd. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the belts d are driven from pulleys D, rotated by the shaft C, totraverse them across the top of a delivery-board or table D. The belts (Z pass around suitable idlers, not here shown, mounted at the forward end of the board D, and thence back underneaththe board to the pulleys D. Extending through .for difierent widths of paper.

teac es with the belts d so that they will be fed forward thereby after their edges have been released from the revolving clips C, see

- Fig. 16.

Positioned at the further Side of the machine, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, is the sheet-separator or lifting-device F, represented merely in outline in these views, but

shown more in detail in the enlarged drawings Figs. 8 to 14 inclusive. The sheetseparating means F is arranged between the forward end of the feed-board B and the edge-gripper shaft C and is preferably adjustable laterally of the machine to adapt it Fig. '2, the further paper-supporting arm The rolls S5 As shown in B on the board B is made shorter than the other arms to adapt the separator-table or platen F to be adjusted in position in front of it. The separator-device F comprises essentially a suction-lifter in the form of an oscillating arm G which is connected to a suction-pump or Vacuum-device shown at H. The pump H is operated from-a crank, or eccentric rotated by the shaft 1, see Fig.

1, arranged below the machine and driven from any suitable source of power. Usually, the crank-shaft I is connected to the driving-shaft of the press or other machine to which the feederis applied, but it might take its power from any other convenient source as desired. The operating shafts for the other parts of the feeding-mechanism also derive their motions from the crankshaft 1, as later explained, andfor the sake of convenience in describing the drivingconnections the continuouslyoscillated transverse shaft L will be considered the main operating shaft.

-The: driving connectionse-Referrin to Fig. 1, the crank-shaft I is connected y a pitman i to a reciprocatable rack-bar J, see Fig. 15, by means of the wrist-pin The rack J slidesinbearings in a frame K which supports the pump-cylinder H and is fastened to a side bracket K. The bracket'K supports the ends of the boards A andjB and also the cross-rod E, see Fig. 15, on which are mounted the brackets e as pre viously described. At the opposite side of the machine, that is the front side, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, is a bracket K corresponding to the bracket K and supporting the rod E at its other end, While a lower transverse tie-rod E also connects the two brackets K, K? together. One side of the rack J bears against bearings k, k on the fra e suitable plate or cover 12 indicated in shaft.

means of a set-screw m a flange or head 1 but not shown in Fig. 15, is secured to the side of the frame K to protect the parts inclosed therein. The teeth j on the side of the rack J mesh with the teeth of a gear Z which is keyed to the previously mentioned shaft L, the latter being journaled in bearings in the opposite side-frames K, K and I also passing through the frame K. The shaft L also carries fast thereon a larger gear Z,

meshing with a gear m which is' free toturn on the shaft C, hereinbefore mentioned as the intermittently-rotated edge-gripper- Secured fixedly to the shaft 0' by M formed with opposite concentric slots m Mounted on the shaft 0 abutting the sideof the flange M is a disk M which is fastened.

' manner as more fully'explained hereinafter.

to the flange by means of bolts m extending through the slots m. The disk M is thus secured rotatively withthe shaft C to adapt it to be adjusted about the axis of the latter by simply loosening the bolts m The periphery of the disk M is flatted off at m to form two diametrically opposed shoulders m adapted to be en aged by the toe of a pawl m carried by t e loose gear m. The pawl m is pivoted on a stud m and a wire spring m inserted through a hole in the stud, bears against its end to maintain its gear Z turning with the gear Zwill therefore rotate the gear m back and forth to the same extent and this movement is transmitted through .the pawl m to turn the disk M intermittently forward a half revolution at each operation. The shaft C is thus turned progressively forward in the direction indicated by the arrow 2, Figs. 15 and 16, to op-x erate the edge-grippers on thedisk C in a The ratchet-mechanism for the driving 00mzectz'0ns.-Turning now to Fig. 3, it is to be understood that this is'a view-lookingin the vopposite direction from that of Figs. 1 and 15. That is to say, Fig. 3 shows the driving-connections for the feeder-mecha nism as viewed from the rear side of the machine or in the direction indicated by the arrow 3, Fig. 2. Illustrated in Fig. 3 are portions of the side-frame A for the feedroll shaft a and the bracket or frame K for the edge-gripper-roll shaft C. As\before indicated these brackets are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the machine and are connected by the longitudinal tie-rods .see Figs. 1 and 2. Mounted on the end of the main operating shaft L adjacent the inside face of the frame K is a pawl-andratchet mechanism, shown at the right in gear Z is rotated back and- Fig. 3, fortransmitting motion to the feedroll-shaft a and the belt-pulley shaft 12 Secured to the shaft L abutting the side of the bearing-hub la on the bracket K see Fig. 5, is a member L, held in place by the set-screw 1 As shown most clearly in Fig. 6, the member L is formed with an irregularly-shaped plate or flange 1 extending.

from its hub Z and carryin on .its side a horizontally-projecting pin The'flange Z is formed with a boss Z projecting from its side and carrying a headed stud Z riveted therethrough to serve as a pivot for a rockable lever 1 Pivotally mounted on the lower end of the lever Z is a pawl Z ar-Q ranged with its toe adapted to engage a shoulder n on the periphery of a collar N abutting the hub Z of the'member L. A

flat, bowed spring 1 is held at one end in the notched side of a pin I, which is driven into a lug Z on the flange Z while its opposite end engages a notch in the end of the lever Z. The pawl Z straddles the sides of the lever Z and is slotted to provide two flatfaces Z and Z, see Fig. 6, which strike against the end of i the lever to limit the movement of the pawlin either direction. The spring Z tends to normally rock the lever i to maintain the pawl Z bearing on the periphery of the collar N and a pin Z driven into the side of the flange Z acts to limit movement of the lever in the opposite direction to prevent displacement of the spring. At its upper end the rear side of the lever Z is beveled off at Z fora purpose as later described.

The collar N is mounted free to rotate on the shaft L and a pin n projecting radially from its periphery is adapted to be engaged by the pin Z on the side of. the flange Z of the member L to rotate the collar as later explained. Abutting the side of the collar N is a member N, see Fig. 5, formed with I a hub of reduced in diameter at n to receive a ratchet-disk N which is free to turn thereon: The collar N is secured to the hub n of the member N" by means of suitable screws n, see Figs. 5 and 6, so that the two parts will rotatetogether, and the side of the collar N bears against the side of the ratchet N to hold the latter in place on the reduced portion of the hub 72?. The ratchet N is connected rotatively with the .member N by resilient means consisting of ference of the disk N is formed with ratchet-teeth a white from its opposite side projects an integral, radial arm n Driven into the endof the arm n is a pin 5 n adapted toride across the beveled end Z of the lever Z to rock the latter to free its pawl Z from the shoulder 11. of the col lar N.

The GOILMOZiOnS between the ratchet-meek 10 anz'sm. and the feed-shafts.The means above described actto oscillate the arm n of the member N as later'explained, and an intermittent motion is transmitted therefrom to the feed-roll-shaft a and feed-beltshaft 6 through the following described connections: Fivotally secured to the end of the arm n of the member N by means of the stud 72,, see Figs. 3 and 5, is a connecti'ng-rod N which extends horizontally along the side of the-machine, as shown in Fig. 1, to transmit motion from the ratchetmechanism above described to a second ratchet-device for driving the feed-roll A 9 and feed-belts 7) shown in Fig. 2-. Screwed into the side of the frame Afias shown at the left in Fig. 3, is a stud a on which is journaled the gear 6* which meshes with the gear 6 on the end. of the belt-pulley-shaft '6 The gear 6 also drives the pinion a. journaled on a stud a and meshing with the gear a on the feed-roll shaft a. Secured to the side of the gear b is a ratchet-disk a formed with peripheral teeth adapted to be engaged by a pawl a pivotallyv mounted on an arm a. The arm a is pivoted on the stud a with its end connected to the connecting-rod N. A spring a secured at one endto a pin a in the side of the arm .a has its opposite end fastened to the end 'of the pawl 11 to maintain the latter in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet at;

'- As the arm h is oscillated back and forth from the shaft L it acts through the arm N? and connecting-rod Ntto actuate the arm a ,and'"the latter, through its pawl a, turns the gear 6* to rotate the feed-rollA and belt-pulleys b in the direction as indicated by the arrows 6 and 7 see Fig. 3.

The detent-means for the ratchet-mechanism.Projecting .fromthe side of the frame K above theshaft L see Fig. 3, is an .arm 70 to which is fastened a downwardly-extending bracket is. The lower end of the bracket h terminates in a bearing 70" formed with a lug is, see Fig. 7,

through which is screwed a stud 70 having its end located in position tobe engaged by the end of the lever Z on the member L. The stud h is adjustable to regulate the action of the lever Z in causing its pawl Z to engage the shoulder 11. of the collar N, to

control the rotation of its connected member.

N" as later explained. Driven into a horizontal bore in the bearing 70' on the bracket h is a sleeve or bushing [0 which projects mechanism Pmounted on the sheet-separatrolle ratchet mechanism just described is mount- 115 messes some distance outwardly beyond the end of the bearing. Mounted free. to turn on the progecting portion of the bushing is a rectangular block 0 which has a flat sheetturn in the bushing h. The block 0 abuts I the end of the bushing 70 to hold the block 0 in placethereon, while a collar 0 at the opposite end of the shaft 0 abuts the end of the bearing is to restrain the shaft from longitudinal movement therein. Preferably, the block 0 is split on one side at 0, see Fig. 3, to adaptit to be clamped to the shaft 0 and a binder-screw 0 serves to 'secure it in position while also acting as a means for fastening to its side a flat pawl 0 @0; The pawl 0 extends downwardly from the side of the block 0 to adapt its end tocontactwith the detent-pin n on the side of the disk N With the parts. in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the engagement of the 1,95

pawl o with the pin 77, holds the block 0 with its pin 0 bearing against the rearward end 0 of the pawl 0'. Through this en gagement the block 0 is tilted to maintain theopposite end "0 of the pawl 0 raised roe free from the teeth a. on the ratchet N The position of the block 0 is normally con,- trolled by aflat rod 0 which extends across the machine to the sheet-operated trippingtor-device F. lieferring to Fig. 7, the forward'end of the rod Oisinserted in a slot in the end of the shaft 0 and held in place by apin 0 see Fig. 7, while its rearward end is similarly connected to the tripping: mechanism as next described: o

. sheet-operated tfippz'ng-deoiee.1teferrin to Figs. 8, 10 and 14, the sheet-0on tripping-device for the pawl-and ed on the frame F which supports the suction-lifter G and its connected elements. As shown more particularly in Figs. 10 and 11, the frame F is mounted directly on the main operating shaft Land held in position :by two arms f clamped to the transverse tierod E? by means of the binder-screws).

Secured to a side-arm f extending upwardly from the'frame F is the flat papertable or platen F,'previously referred to as bein *sct flush with the top of. the 'feedboar B adjacent its forward end,-see Fig. 2. Beneath the forward end of the table F. the arm is bored to receive a rotatable shaft P which is positioned in axial alinement with the short shaft 0 mounted in the bearing is at the opposite .side of the machine. The shaft P is slotted at p throughout its entire. length to adapt it to receive the flat rod 0 whichextends across the machine from the shaft 0, and through this means the two shafts are connected to rotate togethen At the same time, the slot 10 allows the shaft P to be slid along the rod 0 when the frame F. is adjusted to different positions in front of the feedboard B. The inner end of the shaft P is formed with an enlarged head or collar 10, see Fig. 10, which seats in a counterbore f on the side of the arm 7, While on its opposite end is secured a collar 71 seated in a counterbore f to hold the shaft from longitudinal displacement. Referring to Fig. 14,

a pin p is' driven into the under side of the 'collarrp to which is attached a spring anchored at its opposite end to a pin p driven into the side of the arm f see also 'Fig. 10.- The spring 19* tends to rotate the shaft P and its connected shaft 0 in the direction indicated by the arrows 4, Figs. 3 and 14, but normally this movement is resisted by thevaction of a pawl 10, the toe of which engages a shoulder 7 on the head or collar The pawl 79 is pivoted on a pin p driven into the side of the arm {3, with its greatest portion pendant below t e pin. Projecting from its side at its lower end is a pin p on which is pivoted a pawl 29 and also a separate block 12 The rearward end of the pawl p is beveled ofi' at 17 while its forward'end is formed to en gage the teetlrof a ratchet-disk P? which is mounted fast on the operating-shaft Lto turn therewith. Referring to Fi -10, the ratchet P is here shown as forme integral with a cam which serves as a reciproeating-means for'theshdmg crosshead on which the paper-separator devices are mounted as later described. The pawl p is arranged to be held free from the ratchet P by means of the tiltable block p which has a pin 30 projecting from its side and adapted to strike against the top of the pawl to raise the latter. from the ratchet. Theblock p is operated by a paper-tripped finger P secured in a slot on its side and reaching up above the paper-separator table F. Y The forward edge of the table F is oted block 0.

action of the spring 171*.

p will bear on the rear p, through the weight of its lower pendant 1 portion, see Fig. 14, and the shaft P will thus be restrained from rotation under the With the parts in this relation the flat rod 0 connected to the shaft 0, shown in Fig. 3, holds the block detent-pin o bearing against the rear end 0 of the pawl 0. The pawl o is thus held clear of the teeth on the ratchet-disk N so that thelatter is free to rotate with the member N to which it is connected by the spring a As before stated, the shaft L has a back and forth oscillating movement imparted to it from the crank-shaft I of the machine, and the flanged member L is secured fast on the shaft to be oscillated therewith. Normally, the lever Z on the member L will beheld by the spring 1 0 in the position here illustrated with its i to maintain its pawl 1 in position to en'- gage the shoulder n on the collar N, which latter isfree on the shaft L but connected 'rotatively with the member N. Hence, as

the shaft L turns in the direction indicated by the arrow 5, Fig. 3, the member lL' will act through the lever Z and its pawl Z to turn the collar N and member N in the same direction so that the arm a is oscillated through an arc of approximately one- ,half a revolution. During. this movement the ratchet-disk N will also be turned to the same extent withits pin n maintained against the stop n" on the arm n throu h the action of the spring a Now, as t e shaft L reverses its motion the pm I on the side of the flange Z? of the member L strikes against the radial'pin n" on the collar N and the latter is thus turned backin the direction opposite to that indicated by thearrow 5,

;a slight distance from the pin n on the collar N. For this reason themember N I Fig. 3. It will be noted that when the pawl Z on the lever Z is will not be carried to gluite the full extent t of the oscillation of eshaft L, but as the shaft oscillates through a little more in each'direction. It has before been explained how the arm n of the member N transmits motion to the feed-roll A to feed the paper down from the loadingboard A. to the feed-belts b to carry the sheets forward on the board B.

It is to be understood that the functioning of the parts as above described takes :place at the beginning of the operation of the machine before a bank of sheets has been fed down onto the feed-board B and also after each sheet is removed from the table F. As soon as the first sheets have been fed forwardv to the front of the table the leading sheet X, shown in Fig. 14, acts to control the detent-mechanism for the pawl-and-ratchet devices of the feed-roll and belts in the following manner to prevent the feeding forward of additional sheets until the first one has been removed: As the leading sheet X feeds to the end of the table F its edge strikes against the tripfinger P and rocks the latter to the'right as shown in Fig. 14. This causes the block 37 to be tilted to remove its pin p from the rear end of the pawl 10 and the latted then acts through gravity to drop into engagement with the teeth on the ratchet P Now, as the ratchet P is turned by its shaft L in the direction indicated by th arrow 5, Fig. 14, it will force the pawl 20 bodily backward to rock the pawl p to thereby release its toe from the shoulder 10 on the collar p. It will be noted from Fig. 14 that during this action the pin 0 on the block 79 will bear'against the forward end of the pawl 29 to restrain it from rising up out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet'P'. Meanwhile, as the pawl 10 is forced back by the ratchet P its rearward, beveled end p will strike against the periphery of the collar p, so-that after the pawl 10 has been released from the shoulder 50" the forward end of the pawl 10" will be immediately raised and disengaged from the ratchet to prevent the continued rotation of thelatter from causing further movement thereof. As soon as the pawl p is released from the shoulder 10 of the collar p the sprin 12 turns the shaft P" in the direction in mated by the arrow 4, Fig. 14:, to operate the detent-mechanism for the pawl-and-ratchet devices on the shaft L as next explained: v

Referring now to Fig. 3, as the shaft F and rod 0 are turned in the direction indicated by the arrow 4, through the action of the paper-trip-finger as just described, the shaft 0 will be rocked in the same direction. Meanwhile, the pin n on the ratchet-disk N will have been carried around away from the end of the pawl 0 to-allow the block 0 to be tilted by the turning of the shaft O. The tilting of the block {)5 releases its pin 0 from the rearward end 0 of the pawl 0 and allows its forward end 0 to drop from the efiect of gravity until it engages a tooth on the ratchet-h. Immediately thls latter enaeeegaee gagement is efi'ected the ratchet N will be held from rotation while the member L continues torotate carrying with it the lever Z The checking of the rotation of the ratchet N causes the pin n on its arm n to rock the lever Z to release its pawll from ,the shoulder n on the collar N. 'That is to say, as the member L turns with the shaft L in the direction indicated by thearrow 5, Fig. 3, while the ratchet N is held from movement, the beveled end Z of the lever Z will ride under the pin 12, to rock the lever to-carry its pawl outward beyond the shoulder n on the collar N. This movement of the lever Z under action of the pin n is sufiicient to so straighten the bowed-spring I that the latter; will react to hold the lever i against its stop-pin Z as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6. With the pawl Z thus held away from the collar N it is obvious that no movement will be imparted to the latter or to its connected member N by the member L, and hence the arm n will remain at rest and inoperative as regards the ratchet-mechanism for the feed-roll A and feed-belt-pulleys 6 It will therefore be seen that when a sheet of paper actuates the trip-finger P the-pawl-and-ratchet mecha nism is thrown out of action so that the feeding-mechanism at the opposite end of the feed-board B ceases to feed forward more paper until the sheet X is removed from the separator-table,

Upon the returnstroke of the member L, that is when the shaft L is rocked back again in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 5, Fig. 3, the parts are reset in operative relation .as now described: The reverse movement of the member L brings the rearward end of the lever Z against the end of the stud k and this causes the lever to be rocked to carry its pawl Z into engagement with the periphery of the collar N again to adapt its end to engage the shoulder n at the next opposite stroke of the member L. It has been explained that the detent-pin n must be moved away from the pawl 0 before the block 0 can tilt to release the pawl 0. lhis release of the pawl 0is effected through a slight, initial movement of the ratchet N by its spring '41, before the pawl Z on the lever Z is thrown out of action. That is to say, the lever Z acting through its pawl Z will have a slight effect to rotate the collar N, member N and disk N before the pawl is released from the shoulder n. This move-y ment is almost negligible, however, and has substantially no effect on the pawl-andratchet mechanism at the farther end of. the connecting-rod N It will be seen that the first movement of the arm n on the member of its movement and consequently it must pawl then the rotation of the ratchet N will be checked to cause the throwing out;

' of the lever Z before its pawl Z can move the member N to a sufficient extent to cause any effective action of its arm n on the ratchetarm a. It will be understood, of course, that in some cases the paper-tripped mechanism will not act until the ratchet N and its connected parts have already actuated the ratchet arm a to some extent. That is to say, after a sheet of paper has been removed from the table F, and a second sheet is following itin close relation to its forward end, then the ratchet-mechanism will remain operative just long enough to feed the second sheet forward to actuate the trip-mechanism to arrest the ratchet N in whatever position it may be. It is to be noted that the ratchet N? will always travel with the collar N when the latter is being turned by the pawl Z on the lever Z so that the pin n on its arm n is always'in proper relation to act on the end of the lever Z when the movement of the ratchet N is'arrested. It will also be seen that the purpose of the spring connecpin Z? on the member L strikes against the to act on the rear end 0 of the pawl 0.

radial pin n on the collar N to turn the member N backward after it has completed its stroke in the. direction indicated by the arrow 5, Fig. 3. This rearward movement of the member N acts through the projection n on the arm n and the pin n on the disk N to turn the latter back into place. The pin 02 also serves to return the pawl o to its raised position'by acting on the pawl 0 to tilt the block; 0 and cause its pin 0 As the block 0 is tilted back to its first position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the shaft 0 will also be turned back in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 4, see also Fig. let, and through the rod 01 the'shaft P will be turned back to cause it to be again held by the pawl p engaging its shoulder 7 The trips-finger P will then be free to return to its position in the slot 7" of the table F, as shown in Fig. 8, ready to be acted upon by the next sheet of paper fed forward from the feed-board B.

The sheet-separator in genemZ.'-Tl1e most novel and important feature of my improved paper-feeding mechanism is the sheetsep arating device for lifting the sheets one at a time, freeing them from those underneath,

inwardly toward the paper-table F.

and then gripping them positively at their corners to feed them forward in succession. The separator-mechanism, as before indicated, comprises a suction-lifter and a positive paper-gripper which are mounted on the reciprocatingcross'head F arranged to move obliquely in relation to the side of the feed-board B. Referring to Figs. 8, 10 and 11, the frame F, previously referred to as being supported on the main operating shaft L and the parallel cross-rod E has its arm f formed with a horizontal web f provided with downwardly projecting bosses f Secured to the bosses f and set at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to the sides of the frame F is a fiat, horizontal guide-bar F which serves as a track for the crosshead F to slide on. Referring particularly to Figs. 10 and 11, the crosshead F is made in the form of a substantially triangularly-shaped plate having on its top the oblique, slotted guideway F grooved along its sides f to embrace the sides of the track F Projecting inwardly from the forward end of the guideWay F is a lug f carrying a downwardly-projecting stud f on which is journaled a roll f see Fig. 10. The roll engages with a helical groove 9 formed in the periphery of the cam Q previously mentioned as being mounted fast on the continuously oscillated shaft L. The form of the cam-groove g is such that the back and forth oscillation of the shaft L will slide the crosshead F first in' one direction and then in the other along the track F with a slight pause at the end of each movement. This halt of the crosshead at the ends of its stroke in either direction is caused by the roll f riding in the straight portions of the camgroove 9 as the cam nears the end of each throw as later explained.

The suct2'0n-Zifte1.Projecting from the outer corner of the cross-head F is an arm f formed with a downwardly-extending,

-v'ertical post i on the top of which is mounted the swiveled suction-arm G, see Figs. 8 and 10. The arm G is formed at its rearward end with two downwardly-projecting ears 9 hinged to turn on a cross-pin g driven through the flat-sided head g of a stud 9 The stud g is mounted to turn in a bore f in the vertical postf see Fig. 8, and is held in place by a pin f driven through the post with its side enga ing a groove 9 at the end of the stud. Re erring to Figs. 8 and 10, a coiled spring 9 secured to a pin 9 in a lug g on the arm G, is anchored at its opposite end to a pin g on the crosshead F and tends to swing the arm gr lug f projecting from the top of the post f is adapted to engage the fiatted side of the head 9 of the stud g to limitthe swinging movement of the arm Gr under the action of the spring 9 Referring to Figs. 12 and 13, the arm G is made hollow or tubular throughout its length and at its outer end is formed with a cylindrical nozzle or shoe 'G, The under side of the shoe G is inclined at an angle to thearm G to adapt it to be set down flat on the top of the papertable F when the arm is swung into position the arm G is'a pipe-section or nipple g see Fi 12, to which is coupled the end of over the table and then rocked downwardly thereagainst as later explained. As shown more particularly in Fig. 13 the bottom of the shoe G is perforated with small holes 9 through which a suction is exerted on the paper held beneath the shoe when the air is exhausted through the arm G. Fitted to an opening in the under side of the rear end of a fiexi le tube or hose 7:. connected at its opposite end to the suction-pump H to be later describedf On the under side of the arm G adjacent its hinge-ears. 9, see Figs. 8 and 10, is a cylindrical boss 9 in the bottom of which is a rounded cavity adapted to receive the I of the crosshead F hill spherical end 1" of a rod 1*, see Fig. 8. The opposite end 1' of the rod 1 is also of spherical form to adapt it to fit a similarly shaped socket r at the end of one arm of a lever lit. The lever R straddles a bearing 7 at the lower end of the vertical post f on the crosshead F and is pivoted on a pin 1' ex-' tending therethrough. The lever B constitutes the operating-means for rocking the arm G through its toggle-like connection therewith by the rod 1". A coiled spring r hooked through a pin 7' on the side of the arm G and anchored at its opposite end to a pin r in the post f acts to draw the arm downwardly to maintain thetoggle connec- J tions in place.

The lever B is operated from a horizontal bar or slide S adapted to be reciprocatedin grooved guideways f" on the outer side Referrin to' Fig. 8, the left-hand end of the slide upwardly-extending rear arm W" of the lever R, see also Fig. 10. The slide S is reciprocated in the direction indicated by the arrow 9, Fig. 8, to rock the lever lit, through the engagement of a block g on the-cam Q'- ,with its right-hand end as shown in Figs. 21 and 22, and explained more fully hereinafter. Pro ecting from the side of the slide S is a headed stud 8., see Fig. '8, fiatted ed on one side to adapt it to 'be-engaged by The detent-arm S is pivoted on a stud s screwed the shoulder s of a detent-arm S.

into the side of the crossheadF, and a flat spring 8 secured to the topof the crosshead by the screw s 'bears at its end on the top of the' arm S to carry it into en.- gagement with the stud s" on the slide S.

e V In this m 1-. the movement of the slideS is formed with, a vertical slot 8 in which rides a roll r journaled ona stud r riveted through the masses arm G drops down to the position here shown. To allow the arm G to drop down onto thetable F after it has been carried into pos tlon above the latter, the detentarm S is raised free from the stud 8 through the instrumentality of means as next described:

Pivoted on a stud s at the right-hand end of the slide S is a pawl 8 having its major portion pendant below the slide. Une side of the pawl s is adapted tonormally strike against a vertical shoulder 8 fin the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 9, Fig. 8, is limited when the purpose of these beveled surfacesis to provide for an easier lifting of the detent-arm S from the stud s as next explained: he ferring to Figs. 20 to 22, when the cam Q is turning in the direction indicated by the arrow 5, the beveled end 9 of the block 9 I will ride-,under the beveled side 8 of the pawl v8 and forcing it against the shoulder s will raise the detent-arm S to release it from thestud s and allow the slide S to move to the right. Now, when the cam Q turns back in the "reverse direction the block 9 will merely tilt the pawl s to the right suficiently to let it ride across the top of the block, the cooperation of these parts being described more in detail hereinafter.

The positive paper-gMppen- -Arranged to cooperate with the suction-lifter G is a positively-acting paper-gripper T illustrated in .detail in Figs. 8,10 and 13., The papergripper T as heres'hown takes the form.

ofa sheet-metal arm securedto a hub 15.

which is pivoted on a stud t screwed into a' lug g on the. arm G, and positioned above and in-axial alinement with the arms pivot-stud 9 The forward, free end of the arm T is bent down and around in a substantially U-shaped, spring jaw t see 13, which is adapted to slide over the suction-shoe G' at the end of the arm G.

The under sidet ofthe jaw t is inclined I downwardly to adapt it to conform to the lower, beveled contact-face of the shoe G and when the jaw-is slidacross the shoe its top and bottom portions will havea wedging action to cause itto pinch againstjthe shoe. Throughfthis arrangement-the jaw 15 will bind the a'perIX firmly against the bottom of the shoe G' to cause it to be seized positively at its ed'ge as shown-in Fig., 13.*

At its'opposite end the arm .T is formed I with, a downwardlybent,- rearwardly p -Q ally mounted in the hub t is a stud 23 held in place by a cotter-pin t and formed at its top with a slotted head i Pivoted in aeeaeee jecting extension i carrying a hub 16 on its under side, see Fi gs. 8 and 10, Pivotthe slot of the head by means of a crosspin t is a pawl 25 formed at its opposite, lower end with a downwardly-projecting detent-shoulder or toe 25 The toe t is adapted to hook over the curved edge 9 of a plate 9 secured to the top of the rear end of the arm Gr. The edge 9 of the plate 9 ,is formed concentric to the axis of'the pivot stud t to adapt the toe t. of the pawl 25 to slide thereon as the arms G and T swing about the axis of the main and is held in place by a cotter-pin t at wardly therefrom and threaded through its end is a set-screw 253 serves as an adjustable stop for the arm T 5 as it swings outwardly away from the arm 'ment with the ,suction-shoe G.

its lower end. Screwed onto the threaded rod 6 on opposite sides of the member 6 are two thumb-nuts t t adapted ,to be adjusted in -position to strike against the member t for a purpose as next explained; The function of the nuts t is to act on the member to rock the pawl 6 to engage its toe with-the edge of the plate 9 or" to release it'theref rom during the movement of g in the lug g ofthe arm G extends up- G. A spring?? is anchoredat one end to the upper end of the ping and its opposite end is hooked through a hole t in the rearward extension i of the arm T. The spring t serves as the means for swinging thetarm T, after the pawl 25 is released, to carry the jaw t into engage- Through themean's of the spring t, the rod t and its nuts ,15 the gripper-arm T is actuated to cooperate with the suction-arm G as more fully explained hereinafter.

Method of operation of the separatordeoice.-The coordinate functioning of the suction-arm G and positive gripper 'I. are

indicated'schematically in Figs. 17 to 19.-

While the sheet of paper X is being fed forward on the table Ff the crosshead F remains for an instant at the outer end of its throw as the cam-roll f rides in the straight portion of the groove g of the cam Q, prethe suction-arm G. The pin see Fig. 10, which vious to and just after the reversal oit' movementot the operating shaft L, see Fig. 10, With the crosshead F in this position the suction-arm G will be held with its shoe G outward away from the side of the table F and some distance removed from its forward end where the corner is cut away. With the arm in this position the gripper-arm T will be swung forward tree of the shoe G with its rearward end held by the pawl.

# engaging the edge 9 of the plate 9. Now, after the shaft L has made its reversal and commenced to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 5, Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the cam Q, will slide the crosshead F diagonally backward under the table F as indicated by the arro'w ll, Figs. 10 and 17, carrying the arms Gr and T with it while the latter remain in the same relative positions as just described. As the crosshead F starts to move in this direction the arm G is swung around slightly by itsspring 9 until the fiatted head 9 of the stud g strikes against the limiting lug it. Then as the cam-roll f reaches the opposite end or" the groove g,

the suction-shoe G will be brought into pos1-- tion above the forward projecting end of the table F so that approximately one-half of the bottom face-of the shoe willbe directly superimposed above the side edge of the sheet X near its forwardend see Fig. 18.

At this point the crosshead F? halts for an instantwhile the cam Qg is reversing and the devices for forcing the shoe G down into contact with the paper then come, into play as next described:

Hit?

As the cam Q rotates in the direction indicated by the-arrow 5, Fig. 8, the block 9 on its'end will bebrought'around under the lower, beveled edge 8 of' the pawl s to gradually wedge the detent-arm S upwardly as before described, see Fig. 20. At the instant when the roll f is brought to the end of the angular portion of the cam-groove 'q and the crosshead F has reached the rear- Ward limit of its traverse, the detent-arm's will have been raised sui iiciently to clear its shoulder s from the pin 8 on the slidingbar S. Immediately this release takes place the bar S is free to slide to the right, as

viewed in Fig. 8, and the spring 1' will act on the suction-arm Gr to rock it on its hingedonto the top of the sheet X which has been fed. forward across the. table F. The force of the spring 1* is augmented by the weight of the arm'G and the parts carried thereby so that the suction-shoe G is brought down against the sheet of paper X with a quick, I

sharp action similar to the manner of strikbearing 9 to bring the suction-shoe G down ing a smartblow with a hammer. At-thisq juncture the mechamsm of the alr-pump comes into action as later described to cause a vacuum in the arm G to exert a suction. on the sheet of paper under the shoe G. As

the arm Gr is rocked downwardly as above described it will act through its toggle connection 1' tov rock the lever B to slide the bar S to'the right, see Fig. 21, until the end of the latter comes into contact with the end of the block 9 on the cam Q. The rotation of the cam Q is so timed that. this last engagement will not take place until the suctionshoe G is firmly seated against the top of the sheet X as before explained and the air has been exhausted from the arm G. These last named operations are ractically instantaneous so that the shoe 8 may be said to suck at the paper immediately it comes into contact therewith. Now, as the block g on the cam Q meets the end of the bar or slide S the latter will be pushed back in the direction indicated by the arrow 9, Fig. 8, by. the continued rotation of the cam. This rearward movement of the slide S acts through the roll r engaging its'slot s to tilt the lever B back to its original position as shown in Fig. 22, and as the lower arm of the lever is rocked upwardly it operates through the rod 1' to lift the arm G. Meanwhile, the sheet of paper under the shoe G will have been acted upon by' the suction through the holes 9 in the bottom of the shoe to holdits corner fast against the shoe so that it will be raised therewith, see dash lines in Fig. 22. The movement of the slide S under the action of the block g on'the'cam Q is slightly greater than what is required to raise the arm Gr to its first, fixed position so that the raising of the arm is continued for a purpose as later described. "Before the arm G reaches the end of its upward throw,

however, the positive paper-grlpper comes into action as next explained:

As the arm G is tilted or'rocked back on its hinges g the pawl pivoted on the stud t will have the same motion about the'axis of the arm. This will cause the member t to slide back on the rod't which is held fixedly at its rearward end. in its bearing on the table F. As the member t slides back on the rod t it will come into contact with the adjustable thumb-nut t to vent its further movement, and this will have the efl'ect of lifting the pawl if on its own axis to release its toe t from the edge 9 'of the plate 9. Immediately this release is effected the spring t will act to swing the arm Ton its pivot 25" to carry it's jaw-member t around under the suctionand the sheet of paper will be held firmly by its corner to be moved forward by the arm G. The last part of the upward'movement of the arm G takes place as the motion pre of the cam Q is being reversed and the arm is then brought back to its first position illustrated in Fig. 8 as the block 9'. turns back. Thislast action of the block g on the slide S causes a quick motion to be transmitted to the end of the arm G to jerk the paper up and down in the manner of shaking an object held between the fingers.

This shaking of the sheet acts to cause a wave of air to pass beneath. it to assist in freeing it from the next sheet underneath. v

down into placeas shown in Fig. 22. N ow, asthe slide is carried back in the opposite direction by the dropping of the arm- G the pin .9 will meet the shoulder s and pre vent further movement of the slide to hold the arm G in its originalposition as illustrated in Fig. 8. As the cam Q turns back its block 9 will rideunder the pawl s and tilt the latter out of the way until the block has passed, when the pawl will return to its initial position through gravity to be again acted upon to raise the arm S during the next cycle of operations. Meanwhile, as the shaft L turns back in the'direction oppo site to that indicated by the arrow 5, Fig.

8, the camQ will cause the crosshead F r to be drawn obliquely forward again to its first position shown in Fig. 10. The sheet of paper held by its corner at the end of' the arm G will thus be drawn diagonally forward as more fully explained hereinafter. Before the crosshead F reaches its forward extreme of travel the member rod 6 and this acts through the pawl to exert a..pull on the rear end of the arm T.

As the movement of the crosshead continues,

this pulling action through the rod 25 serves to swing the arm T aroundion its pivott to free its jaw t from the shoe G and thus" 1 15 release the paper. This action takes place after the paper has'been fed to the edgegrippers C as later described. The 'movement of the arm T is continued until its edge strikes against. the limit screw t and the pull of the rod t will then act to swing the arm G against the action of its spring 9 until 'fina'lly the shoe G is carried clear of the edge of the sheet of paper upon which it has just been operating.

j The suction air-pump.The vacuum-device for effecting the suction action of the shoe G on a sheet of paper held beneath it is illustrated in Fig. 15 and will be next described: The pump-cylinder H is mount- 130 aaeaeee ed on the frame K located at the farther side of the feed-board B adjacent the separator-device F as before explained. Arranged to slide in the cylinder H is a piston H"v of usual-type carrying a contact ring- 71, and having its operating rod k projecting down through a bore in the head it. Fastened to the top of the piston H is a coiled spring hi which is compressed against the top of the cylinder H when the piston is raised to its upper position therein as shown in Fig. 15. The piston H is raised in the cylinder H by means of the rack-bar J which strikes against the lower end of the rod it when the bar is moved upwardly from the rotation of the crankshaft I shown in Fig. 1 and previously described. After the piston H has been raised to the end of its stroke it is held at the top of the cylinder H by a detent-arm U formed with a shoulder 11) which is adapted to engage the lower end of the rod h as the rack J starts to descend. The arm U is pivoted on a stud u screwed into a boss on the frame K and is held at the top by an offset clamp-piece u under which it slides". The clamp a also serves to limit the movement of the arm U to the right as later explained. Pivoted on a screw a in the arm U is a release-pawl-U formed with a shouldered end a overlapping the side of the rack J and adapted to be engaged by a pin u at the top of the rack.

F astened to a pin Won the pawl U is spring it having its opposite end anchored to a pin u driven into the side of the frame 1x. The spring a acts onthe pawl U to tilt its shouldered end a upwardly and a pin a .in its rear side strikes against the edge of the arm Ufto limit the movement of the pawl in this direction. The function of the spring 2& is twofold; first, to tilt the pawl U and second, to rock the arm U to the left to engage its shoulder to with the end of the piston-rod 71?. It will be noted that the arm U-is beveled off at its upper end and this bevel u strikes against the side of the rod 721 to allow only a slight engagement between the shoulder as and the end of the rod.

The cylinder H is formed on one side'with an air-duct H which communicates with the interior of the cylinder through a port It at the top. A relief-port h, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 15, opens to the atmos-' phere from the bot-tom of the cylinder to relieve the pressure therein as the piston descends. Communicating with the bottom of the air-duct H is a pipe-nipple h to which is attached the end of the tube or hose h leading. to the suction-arm -G. Opening into the side of the air-duct H is an exhaustport h which is normally closed by a valve V. The valve V is mounted on a lever V hinged by a pin '0 to 2, lug k promoting 'hausts through the relief-port h.

from the side of the cylinder Hooked 7 through the lever V at its upper end is a rod 1) the lower end of which slides in a block 0 pivoted on the outer end of the pawl U by means of a pin 0 Fastened to the lower end of the rod '0 is a spring a anchored to the frame K at W. Adjustably mounted on the rod 12' is a split collar 0 clamped in place by a binder-screw v The operation of this part of the apparatus is-as next explained:

Method of operation of the suction-demlce.'As the rack-bar J is raised through the action of the crank or eccentric on the shaft T it'comes into contact with. the end of the rod h and slides the piston H to the top of the cylinder H. During this up- .ward movement of the piston the valve V will be forced open against the action of the spring 42 on the rod Q) to relieve thecompression in the cylinder H and duct H Meanwhile the spring 72. on the top of the piston H is compressed against the top of I the cylinder and as soon as the rack J starts downwardly the detent-arm U will be rocked into engagement with the end of the piston-rod k to hold the piston raised. The rack J will therefore slide downwardly without the piston until its pin a strikes against the shouldered end a of the. pawl U. As'the pin a engages the shoulder u at an angle, it will act with a wedging efie'ct to force the pawl U bodily to the right and in this manner the detent-arm U" will be pried. out from under the end of the pistonrod 7L3. As soon as the detent-arm U is released from the rod hi the compressionspring 71, will initiate a downward move- .closed by the spring 12* acting through the rod '0 and hence a vacuum will be created in the top of the cylinder H and the air duct H This causes a suction through the tube i h and arm G whereby the paper will be sucked against the shoe G in the manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore eX- plained.

Now, as the rack-bar J still further continues its downward movement the arm U brings up against the offset in the clamp to limit its movement in this directionand the pawl U will then be rocked on its pivot u This rocking of the pawl U slides the block v 'upwardlv along the rod 1: until it strikes against the collar '0 The engagement between the block '0 and collar t now acts to raise the rod '0 to lift the le er V be understood that the collar *0 is adjusted on the rod '0 to provide for the opening of the valve'V at the roper interval after -the paper has been raised by the suction-arm G and seized positively by the gripper 1.. 5- As the rack-bar J ascends in its next stroke the pin it will be carried away from the end of the pawl U so that the latter will be tiltedback again by its spring a to allow the spring o to again close the valve V. The various parts of the apparatus will then function again in'the manner as above described. i I

The revolving edge-grippers.As the sheet of paper is fed forward from the table F by the separator-device G, it is delivered to the revolving edge-grippers 0" carried by the diskseon the shaft C. These are arranged in series across the machine adjacent the delivery-belt-pulleys D which carry the sheets onto the top of the delivery-board D, see Fig. 2. For an understanding of the'coiiperation of the edge-grippers with the apparatus of the resent invention a brief explanation of their functioning will now be given Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the edge-grippersC are mounted on cross-shafts e which extend through bearings near the peripheries of the several disks 0, see Fig. 2, and are arranged to pivot on the sides of the 3 0 latter. There are two sets of grippers on thedisks c, as shown in Fig. 16, but it V will be suflicient, for the purpose intended to describe one set only. Each gripper consists v essentially of a rockable anvil e and a pivoted clamp-member 0 the latter having a curved spring-finger 0 adapted to be set,

downa'gainst the top-face e? of the anvil to gr1p the paper, therebetween; The clamp- 40 member 0 is-fast on the cross-shaft 0' to be turned thereby while the anvil e is free to turn on the shaft when operated b a bowed spring 0 f The spring 0 is hel at one end in a slot 0 of a pin 0 swiveled in the anvilo while its opposite end engages.

a groove 0 in the side of a pm 2 which pI'0 jects from the side of the disk 0. The rear endof the anvil 0 is formed with a tail-piece 0 adapted to strike against a pine also projecting from the side of the disk 0. The tendency of the spring a is normally to maintain the anvil 0 in the position illu s-- trated in Fig. 3 with. its tail 0 bearing against the pin 0. At its outer end the anvil o carrles a stud e on which is journaled a roll 0 The roll 0* is adapted to ride on a cam-face d which is formed on delivery-board D, see Fig. 2, with its top flush with the upper face thereof. It will be noted that there is an arm 01 for each gripper-device C. and together they constitute aseries of overhanging brackets for the demounted diametrically opposite each other livery-board D so arranged as, to receive the leading edges of the sheets of paper carried upwardly thereto by the grippers C.

the separator-arms G and T the clamp 0 is maintained with its spring-finger o raised above the top of the anvil e as shown in Fig. 3. As soon, however, as the edge of the paper has been inserted between the finger c and the anvil 0 the clamp is rocked by the shaft 0, through the operation of mechanism not herein shown or described, to the position shown in Fig. 4. Through this operation the sheet X is securely gripped along its forward edge by all of the grip- 35 pers of the series and at'this point the arms G and T release the sheet in the manner as before described. .The sheet X will now be fed forward solely by the grippers C and as the disks C continue to turn a further rotation is imparted to the shaft 0 which causes the clamp 0 to turn the anvil o fa'gainst the action of the spring 0 with the clamp 0 turning with it. It will be noted that the upper face 0 of the anvil c is curved to conform to the arc of the gripper-finger c and as these two parts. are rocked around the axis of the shaft 0 they finally reach a position where, their curved portions are concentric with the shaft 0.

around thereon will cause the anvil o to be held while the clamp 0 is tilted back by the rocking of the shaft '0 to release the paper from its grip. At this point the sheet X will have been brought well forward onto the delivery belts d which are being traveledby the pulleys D, and under the riderrolls E see Fig. 16, so that they will be carried forward by the belts onto the deliveryboard D. I

Method of operation of the complete appa- 7'atus.A brief recapitulation of the method of operation of each mechanism of the machine will now be given in order to explain the coordinate functioning of the whole apparatus. Referring to Fig. 1, the operator first places a stack or pile of sheets X on the 

